Spokane, Yakima, Seattle rank high in car thefts

The Northwest Insurance Council says the number of vehicle thefts in Washington declined 25 percent last year to about 32,000. But the council says Washington continues to be a hotbed for thieves. Three cities in the state — Spokane, Yakima and the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area — rank in the top 50 in the National Insurance Crime Bureau’s annual Hot Spots report. Based on the number of thefts per 100,000 residents, Yakima ranks third, the Seattle area 26th and Spokane 35th. Other cities with high car theft rates are Vancouver-Portland, Longview, Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Olympia, Tri-Cities, Bremerton-Silverdale and Wenatchee. The most-stolen car in Washington, according to the bureau, is a 1992 Honda Accord.